IDSA has been needing an overhaul big time (as I've openly discussed here on these boards on many different occasions). From reading a bit about Mr. Martinage's background, he seems like just the guy to save the sinking rowboat and potentially re-create it into something as powerful as the Spanish Armada.

He's got a big challenge ahead. I, for one, hope he succeeds at turning it around into an organization that is a amazing resource for ID students and ID professionals.

As of now, there is simply no reason I should join IDSA and pay an expensive yearly membership. I'd like for there to be a tempting set of reasons for me to join.

Daniel, if you're reading, I'm always willing to chat via email or phone in order to give a perspective from a working full-time Industrial Designer in the field, sharing what my (our) needs/wants/desires are from IDSA.

They need to make it work like other "real" professional organizations. And a place to start ties into a very upsetting thing that the IDSA did a few months ago.

A few moths ago I received an email from IDSA National. Just an ordinary "we got the skinny on some jobs" type email. It reads:

Dear IDSA furniture designer,

I’m writing to inform you of a design opportunity near IDSA headquarters. Universal Cabinet Designs is seeking a talented individual to design a prototype. The product will be used for consumer electronics and designed to fit a futuristic theme. We are looking for a design to be complete this winter, but the position offers potential long-term partnership. Your collaboration and creative input is required--we would like to apply your perspective to operations. Candidates do not have to be local, but must be willing to work pro bono at start. Future compensation is negotiable. Position is open immediately as interested investors and buyers are awaiting a prototype.

Wow, Thanks!! my professional organization apparently see's nothing wrong with aiding people in solicitations for members to work for free. Not being respected as a profession is awesome, right?!

If they respected the work the designer was doing they would hire a professional, or at least pay a grad student to work with them. I do not plan to renew my membership to the IDSA, an organization which I had volunteered with for several years prior to this. I want an organization which fights for legitimacy of it's members, an organization that membership is a badge of honor, an organization who will stand up and guide the misinformed to correct etiquette for procurement of a designer. Ultimately I would like some standards, maybe this new guy can shape this thing up, I hope so otherwise the future feels bleak.

I’m writing to inform you of a design opportunity near IDSA headquarters. Universal Cabinet Designs is seeking a talented individual to design a prototype. The product will be used for consumer electronics and designed to fit a futuristic theme. We are looking for a design to be complete this winter, but the position offers potential long-term partnership. Your collaboration and creative input is required--we would like to apply your perspective to operations. Candidates do not have to be local, but must be willing to work pro bono at start. Future compensation is negotiable. Position is open immediately as interested investors and buyers are awaiting a prototype.

no_spec wrote:IDSA has identified it's strengths and weakness' and needs to find ways to motivate vounteerism to make change happen.New guy is supposed to be an expert at it.

How important is it to have a national organization that represents Industrial Designers?

Volunteerism? There is little to no wifm. And on top of that, they want me to pay a dues to be a volunteer? I'll take two kicks to the crotch please.

I could see having volunteerism as a substitute to paying a dues to have a membership. That is a most interesting idea.

I belong to several medical associations, including at one time IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America, funny, huh). They provide two things, knowledge and contacts - both huge wifms. I can go to any conference and see the latest and greatest thinking in papers and posters. I can meet and add to my contacts list the kols who wrote the papers and posters.

Seems to me that is the million dollar question. I certainly don't have a definitive answer.

But if I were to hazard a guess, atmo, designers tend to be myopic and have over inflated egos.

The myopia limits designers in scope. I don't need continuing education on ripping a hot sketch or CAD short cuts or modeling techniques. But I do require more knowledge about the overall new product development process. How strategy, branding and even things like supply chain management impacts industrial design. I was at a medical conference where they had game designers speaking to behavior change. They had no problems looking outside. But a lot a designers are stuck talking about looking at that clean line. Almost afraid to look outside. Quite ironic, atmo. And if I hear one more word about the genius of Dieter Rams or whoever the designer du jour is today, I'm going to wretch.

The ego problem contributes to the myopia. Since the whole world revolves around design, why bother with anything else. Also, the ego makes them think what they do is the secret sauce that can't be shared - it's special. Well, I'm here to inform you it is not. What you are doing is not rocket science and is most definitely not a trade secret, get over yourself. And the notion that your product has some life-changing emotional impact on people is just sad.

We keep cycling through leaders - but i always hear rumors that the board of directors are very controlling so is IDSA missing on who they need to change and who is getting it wrong?

It makes sense to have some one in charge who is trained in running an non-profit organization which is different then running a design office or a studio or being a vp of a company (I don't care what name is behind it), and my question is why did it take IDSA so long to figure that out.I equate it to the time IDSA hired a Design firm to do a study on what IDSA members want..... what did they do but go out and hire a high price design firm that cost 60-80 thousand and who in turn interviewed 12 people, 8 of them being in one region. Why I can only guess, because Designers can do it all type approach vs hiring a firm that specializes in this type of study (which is not a ID firm no matter what the website says they can do)........

I once challenged IDSA to answer my question - "what does IDSA do for me" i was told that that was the wrong question and i should be asking "What can i do for IDSA" - i took that to heart and dove in head first and spent 4 years doing a variety of things only to see things continue to digress. And if at anytime I challenged the IDSA way of doing things i got my hand slapped. So here we are no back to a new person in charge and i will watch to see how things progress as a non-member, due to the fact that i can not find value in IDSA at it's current rate..... (this may be different if I was in Chicago where IDSA is extremely active) or if they were doing value added webinars. Something i did when i was in charge of the chapter 8 in 2 years with attendance always well above 200 people across the nation - And IDSA asked me how i was so successful and i spent several hours talking with them about that and yet they have not picked up the ball and ran with it even though i provided them a great foundation to build upon.

Lets be honest if IDSA one a month provide at the national level a webinar that provided continuing education on various topics (iab had a few that would be good, and yes even skills and techniques) that alone would add value.

Okay i am done with my rant....... I will now wait for someone from IDSA to email me and ask why i posted this instead of coming to them directly to talk about my concerns.......

Here in SD we have a linked in group that puts together regular local happy hours and barbecues. The CE designer group on linked puts together an annual CES get together. I get most of the design news I need from various blogs, websites, and forums.

When I lived on SF I paid a lot more to be on the SFMOMA accessions committee and it was completely worth it. It was stacked with great people to get to know. Each quarterly meeting was like a 2 Hour design and architecture history seminar presented by curators who thoroughly researched key pieces of our profession's history.

So what is the compelling reason for me to pay dues? Where is the value in it? I think they should explore moving away from a membership model all together. Instead they could move to a product model. Imagine if you could buy a kit with everything you need to start a consulting group, contracts, proposal forms, tax forms tailored to the laws in your states, formulas that helped you develop a fee structure based on your overhead. Imagine if you could purchase tickets to design leadership courses that helped you to move off the boards and taught you hot to create a tailored process and cultivate the propper environment for your team. Courses that would teach you how to better demonstrate the value of design to your corporation. Workshops on how to present concepts in ways that are relevant to the c-suite executives at your company or client. Give us something useful that we didn't learn in school. Give us value.

YO, can you compare that to DMI?If you were to prepare a seminar (or webinar) how much would you have to get paid, and why would you give a cut to IDSA? why not just let your employer sponsor your time/cost it and get the credit?